


To Bite The Neighbors

by LadyBrooke



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-16 03:51:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10563120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBrooke/pseuds/LadyBrooke
Summary: Celegorm has to take his younger brother to the market with him. If only Curufin understood that no matter how many comments people make about Celegorm, he can't actually bite people in revenge.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for Taming the Muse on Dreamwidth, prompt Rabies.

“He’s rabid, like one of his dogs.”

Celegorm kept a tight hold on Curufin as they hurried through the market. Curufin was trying to swing from his hold, ready to attack the first person he found who had said something like that. His brother was too little to be allowed to do such things though – Curufin was small, too small, Maedhros had said when Curufin was first born (Father had hidden away in his workshop for hours).

“Turko, let me go!”

So he couldn’t let his baby brother get into a fight, no matter how much Curufin protested. “Hush. You can’t attack people like that. Do you want Amil and Ata to fight again? No? Then you can’t start your own fight in the middle of the square.”

“But they’re being mean about you!” Curufin’s face twisted up, trying to mimic the thunderous expression their father had whenever he heard comments like that.

“They’re always mean about somebody. If not me, they’ll comment on one of our other brothers or Ata. And if they like us, they’ll comment on somebody else in our family, or Olwë or Ingwë and their families,” Celegorm said, trying to balance his brother and the shopping.

“But you’re not rabid! And neither are any of the dogs. They’re nice.”

Celegorm smiled at this. “You hate the dogs.”

“I like them more than I like the people here,” he said back. “At least the dogs are useful and keep my feet warm when it’s cold.”

“That is a point.” Celegorm laughed loudly, attracting more looks from the other elves. “They keep more than your feet warm sometimes, too.”

Curufin scowled at this. “You could have gotten him off of me sooner.”

“Kid, you’re the one who climbed on top of his back and tried to use him as a pillow the day before. It’s only fair that he climbed up on the couch when you were laying there and tried to use you as one.” Celegorm snickered. “It was cute.”

“I’m not cute!” Curufin stomped his foot as he walked.

“Of course you aren’t,” Celegorm said. He didn’t tell his brother that nobody else in the family agreed, and Caranthir had been forced to make copies of his sketch of the scene for everyone.

Curufin frowned for a moment longer. “Can I bite them?”

“The dogs?” Celegorm raised an eyebrow.

“No, them.” Curufin gestured around the market with his hand.

“Why would you want to? They probably don’t taste very good,” Celegorm said.

“They said you had rabies, but you don’t,” Curufin said. “But if they think one of us has rabies, one of us might as well bite them. And then Ata and Amil can’t fight about it, because things can’t help getting rabies.”

“That’s one way of reasoning out a problem,” Celegorm replied. “But no, you still can’t bite them.”

Curufin pouted. “But I want to!”

“But you can’t,” Celegorm said. “How about you behave, and I’ll buy you a sucker when we’re getting ready to leave?”

Curufin hesitated for a moment. “Fine. But I want a red one.”

“One red sucker, coming up in a few moments.” Celegorm smiled at his brother. He didn’t like having to do so many chores now that Maglor and Maedhros were busy with other things, but watching Curufin wasn’t that bad.


End file.
